A U.S. Senator cries foul to sexual-misconduct charges, but the accusers are not the usual anonymous sources

When Senator Brock Adams of Washington quit his bid for re-election last week, hours after the Seattle Times charged him with sexual misconduct toward eight unnamed female employees or political associates, the liberal Democrat said he had been destroyed by "hypothetical comments by hypothetical people." For most Americans, who read only excerpts or summaries in their local dailies, the implication was strong that Adams had been victimized by flimsy reporting of unsubstantiated -- even fabricated -- claims from political enemies. The enduring image was of a haggard Adams, flanked by his supportive wife and daughter, denouncing his accusers as too cowardly...